Objects and stories | Science Museum View more details on collections site Explore our collection beyond the museum floor and find out the fascinating histories behind even the smallest objects. Objects and Stories aims to give you better access to this world-class Museum through our ever-expanding digital resources. Search for over 500,000 objects and archives in Collection Online , take a look at our curator's highlights below, and discover unique and compelling stories—from objects that have changed our world to the intriguing personal histories that lie behind them. Related Content Our Collection Online Explore over 500,000 objects and archives from the collection of the Science Museum Group. Collection Search the Collection New stories Voyage to Mercury: BepiColombo BepiColombo is a joint mission between the European Space Agency (ESA) and the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) to visit the smallest planet in the Solar System, and the closest one to the Sun: Mercury. The History of the wheelchair Discover the history of the wheelchair, probably the most recognisable mobility device. Vanishing Africa: Through Mirella Ricciardi’s Lens Images taken six decades ago by the acclaimed photographer Mirella Ricciardi reveal the landscapes, wildlife and people of East Africa poised on the brink of transformation by climate change. Collection highlights Discover the most fascinating, historically significant and awe-inspiring objects currently on display. Julius totalisator machine—on display in Mathematics: The Winton Gallery Part of a huge electromechanical machine from Wembley Greyhound Stadium, the totalisator or tote, calculated the odds for each dog in real time as gamblers placed their bets. It also operated a giant display screen. © The Board of Trustees of the Science Museum Russian made Soyuz TMA-19M spacecraft—on display in Space This is the actual spacecraft that took astronauts Yuri Malenchenko, Tim Kopra and Britain’s Tim Peake up to the ISS in 2015 and then returned them safely to the Earth the following year. © The Board of Trustees of the Science Museum Cabinet of foreign weights, 1919–1920—on display in Mathematics: The Winton Gallery Held at the Royal Mint in London from 1818, this cabinet housed weights collected by British consuls stationed overseas, each drawer containing standard weights from the place marked on the front. © The Board of Trustees of the Science Museum Le Corbusier chair, 1930—on display in Mathematics: The Winton Gallery Designed by Charlotte Perriand for the architect Le Corbusier. Drawing from classical thought, Le Corbusier held that all manufactured products should be designed to mathematical rules of proportion, creating a harmony with the human form. © The Board of Trustees of the Science Museum Crick and Watson's DNA molecular model, 1953—on display in Making the Modern World This reconstruction of Watson and Crick's model includes some of the original metal plates they used, © The Board of Trustees of the Science Museum Wells cathedral clock, c.1390—on display in Making the Modern World One of the oldest clocks in the world and a profoundly significant medieval British artefact, it has been displayed in South Kensington since the late 19th century. © The Board of Trustees of the Science Museum Caroline Herschel's telescope, c.1795 —on display in Making the Modern World This telescope was made by William Herschel for his sister Caroline who, as well as assissting William in his observations, was a noted astronomer in her own right, discovering eight new comets and three nebulae. © Royal Astronomical Society Aerial inductance coil, 1943—on display in Information Age When it opened in 1926, Rugby Radio Station housed one of the world’s most powerful radio transmitters. This enormous coil was part of that transmitter, responsible for tuning the very low frequency signals that sent messages across the globe. Science Museum Group Collection Marconi 1.5kw transmitter, 1922–25 —on display in Information Age On a foggy November night in 1922, the words ‘This is 2LO calling’ announced the arrival of the BBC. Using the Marconi transmitter, the station 2LO took words and music from studios in Savoy Hill near The Strand and transmitted them to listeners in London. © The Board of Trustees of the Science Museum Pilot ACE computer, 1950—on display in Information Age Pilot ACE (Automatic Computing Engine) embodied mathematician and computer pioneer Alan Turing’s idea of a universal machine that could perform any logical task. Science Museum Group Collection Iron Baby,Antony Gormley, 1999—on display in Who Am I? This cast-iron sculpture of a life-size newborn baby lying alone on the gallery floor makes a powerful statement about the vulnerability of humans. © The Board of Trustees of the Science Museum Amy Johnson's Gipsy Moth, 1928—on display in Flight In 1930 Amy Johnson set off from Croydon in this De Havilland Gipsy Moth aeroplane which she named Jason. Nineteen and a half days and 11,000 miles later, she touched down in Port Darwin, Australia. © The Board of Trustees of the Science Museum Boulton and Watt rotative beam engine, 1788—on display in Energy Hall Built by James Watt, this is the oldest essentially unaltered rotative engine in the world.and incorporates all of Watt's most important steam-engine improvements. Science Museum Group Collection Sokol space suit used by Helen Sharman—on display in Space Sokol space suit and accessories made by Zvezda used by Helen Sharman during the space flight on board the SOYUZ-TM-12 and MIR spacecraft in May 1991. Science Museum Group Collection © The Board of Trustees of the Science Museum Explore by topic Engineering Category: Discover how engineers can create amazing innovations that our lives depend upon by harnessing novel ways of thinking about, and manipulating, the world around us. Our Environment Category: From the lab to the repair shop, scientists, engineers and ordinary people are working on responses to the climate crisis. Discover stories exploring what we know about climate change, and how we can fight it. Everyday Technology Category: Discover the extraordinary stories behind familiar objects and technologies we encounter every day. Medicine From mental health to epidemiology, discover the people and events who have shaped medicine as we know it today. Series Chemistry Category: Delve into stories of how experimentation and innovation in chemistry affects the world around us. Mathematics Category: With stories spanning the centuries, discover how mathematics connects to every aspect of our lives. Space Category: Explore stories of the developments in science and technology that took humans into space and onto the surface of the Moon. Communication Discover the incredible technologies and feats of engineering that paved the way for communication as we know it today. Series Women in Science Category: Women have long played an important but often unacknowledged role in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. Computing Category: Explore some of the key moments that have shaped our computerised modern world. Art and Science Category: Find out how art can help people to look at science differently and how science asks different questions of the arts. Astronomy From the Stone Age to the Space Age, people have watched and studied the stars, creating a huge variety of instruments to help us make sense of what we see More ways to explore our collection SMG Journal Category: The Journal presents the global research community with peer-reviewed papers relevant to the work of the Science Museum Group. Science and Society Picture Library Category: Over a million images and footage from the Science Museum Group. Dana Research Centre and Library Consult 6,000 books and journals covering museum studies and the history and biography of science technology and medicine.